1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management technology of attributes of services provided by a distributed processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing basic configurations of a distributed object system. A conventional distributed object system is generally comprised of a service section 1 implemented as a distributed object, a service directory 2 used to save a list of services in a distributed object environment and a client 3. The service section 1 providing services as a distributed object has a service interface 1A. The service interface 1A is an interface used when the client 3 utilizes services provided by the service section 1.
The service directory 2 stores a real address 2A of the service interface 1A for services provided in the distributed object environment and an attribute 2B providing information about the service. For example, the attribute 2B has fields that hold names of a section, building, floor or room where the service is provided.
Moreover, the service directory is a distributed object service itself with its service interface 2C providing services such as service registration, service deletion, and service retrieval. The service directory 2 can retrieve the real address for the service interface 1A by using information about the attribute associated with services as a search criteria.
Generally, the service section 1 will register a real address 2A of its service interface 1A, with some associated attributes, to the service directory 2, so that the client 3 can retrieve the real address 2A.
For detection of the service directory 2, a multicast function of a network is used. A service directory retrieving message (FIG. 2(1)) to detect the service directory 2 is sent out by using the multicast function.
On the other hand, the service directory 2 that has detected the required service directory retrieving message will return a service directory retrieving reply message to the section which has issued the service directory retrieving message (FIG. 2(2)). The service directory retrieving reply message contains the real address of the service interface 2C connected to the service directory 2.
Then, the section having received the service directory retrieving reply message can access the service interface 2C of the service directory 2 using the real address contained in the message, and can register, delete or retrieve the service of the service section 1. For example, the service section 1 registers the real address and attributes of the service interface 1A in the service directory 2(FIG. 2(3)).
The client 3, when using a specific service, first detects the service directory 2 running in the distributed object environment (FIG. 2(4)(5)) in the same way described above, and then accesses the service interface 2C of the service directory 2 (FIG.2 (6)) to retrieve the real address of the service interface 1A of the targeted service section 1. After that, the client, by using the real address of the service interface 1A, utilizes the target service 1 (FIG. 2(7)).
In a distributed object environment where real addresses of service interfaces are obtained via the service directory, the attributes of every service registered in the service directory 2 play an important role in an exact and successful retrieval of real addresses.
For example, in a corporate network, the name of a department or a section or an office can be associated with a service as attributes. At this point, a client 3 that is willing to utilize a service can, by designating types of services (i.e., type of the service interface) and attributes that contain the department and/or section and/or office name to the service directory 2, obtain the real address of the service interface 1A that is provided at a desired department or section or an office.
It is either the responsibility of the service section registering the real address of its service interface 1A or a third party, to set the attribute 2B to the service. The third party includes, for example, a system manager.
However, if the service section itself is to register the attribute, problems arise in that there can be potentially multiple attribute values representing the same entity. For example, xe2x80x9cMarketing Departmentxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cMarketing Dept.xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cMarketingxe2x80x9d for a single Marketing Department. It is impossible to ensure consistency in attributes among services, since attributes may be assigned by different individuals or organizations.
On the other hand, though the method in which the third party is to set the attribute to every service is effective in maintaining consistency in attributes, enormous labor is required for setting attributes to every service as the number of services increases. Another problem is that, whenever a new service is registered, an attribute suitable to the new service must be set causing a great burden to the system manager.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a service attribute management system, which is capable of automatically setting attributes of a distributed object services and of providing consistency in attributes that are set.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a service attribute management system is provided for storing at least one attribute of a distributed object service in a service directory as management information, comprising an attribute setting section used to decide attributes to be registered in said service directory, where the attributes are decided in accordance with setting conditions and information on the service section.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein setting conditions referenced by the attribute setting section are able to be arbitrarily set.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the service directory is mounted for every network interface.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the attribute setting section is mounted so as to be associated with the service directory provided for every network interface and wherein the setting condition is able to be set individually.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the attribute setting section is mounted so as to be commonly used for the service directory provided for every network interface and wherein a registration of an attribute in the service directory is performed individually in accordance with setting conditions corresponding to the service directory stored in a corresponding relationship table.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the attribute decided by the attribute setting section is registered by the attribute setting section in the corresponding service directory.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the attribute setting section, upon deciding attributes to be associated with the service section, notifies the service section of the attributes so that the service section can register the attributes in the service directory by itself.